Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



,667. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

W. H. NELSON. MAIL BAG OATOHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS. A

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WH.I\IeLs011 No; 895,667. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. W. H. NELSON.

MAILBAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

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I I J glwuontot qxi tnuom I I I I v WH.NeIrSOTI N5. 895,667. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

A W. H. NELSON. MAIL BAG OATOHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

i; 2 E h m 3noMoc Q I I WILLIAM H. NELSON, OF KINGSVILLE, MISSOURI.

MAIL-BAG GATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed June 4, 1908. Serial No. 436,700.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingsville, in the county of Johnson, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and Delivering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention has reference to improvements in mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, and it aims, primarily, to provide an exceedingly simple and effective apparatus for effecting the transfer of mailbags from a moving train to the receiving station, and from the latter to the train automatically and with perfect safety to the clerks both at the station and in the car, both transfers taking place at approximately the same instant.

To this end, the invention comprises a receiving device in the nature of an endless conveyor, and a delivering mechanism consisting of a receptacle having a hinged door held in lace by a trip catch, the trip arm of the catdli connected with the car-carried receptacle lying in the path of the receiving device at the station, while that of the catch connected with the crane-carried receptacle lies in the path of the receiving device carried by the car.

More especially, however, the invention resides in the particular construction of the receiving device, and in the provision, in connection with the car-carried device, of a pair of discharge chutes located at opposite ends thereof which lead into the interior of the car.

The invention further resides in the specific trip mechanism employed in each instance, and in the particular manner in which such mechanisms are connected with the doors of the corresponding receptacle.

The referred embodiment of the inven tion is i lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts or features, as the case may be, are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the a several views.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of the complete invention, the car appearing in transverse section, the door of t e receptacle carried by the car being shown in its open position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the car, showing the receptacle door in its normal or closed position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the receiving device located at the station. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views of the trip mechanism connected with the receptacle carried by the car, the views being taken at right-angles to each other. Fig, 6 is an enlarged detail View of the delivering apparatus carried by the crane. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the trip mechanism connected with said apparatus.

Referring more particularly to the drax ings, 1 designates, generally, the mail-car, 2 the crane located at the receiving station, A and A the delivering apparatuses carried respectively by the car and by the crane, B and B the trip mechanisms connected therewith, and C and C the two receiving devices.

The delivering apparatus A carried by the car consists primarl y of a receptacle 3 V shaped in cross section and secured in any preferred manner to one side of the car through which side said receptacle opens. The receptacle is normally closed by means of a door 4 hinged at its upper edge as indicated by the numeral 5 and provided at its lower edge with a depending tongue 6 which is formed integral with the door and is set at an angle thereto. Through said tongue is formed a slot 7 having a constricted lower end 8 transversely of which is disposed a small roller 9, the ends of the pin upon which the roller is mounted being secured to the tongue. When the door is in its closed position, the bent tongue will roject towards the adjacent edge of the oor of the car which is beveled at such point as indicated by the numeral 10.

The trip mechanism which is arranged for engagement with the tongue when the door is closed, includes a transversely-disposed rock-shaft 11 journaled in depending brackets secured to the lower face of the car floor and provided at its outer end with a pivoted catch 12, the lower end of which terminates in a depending tooth 13, the sha e of the catch being approximately that o' a sector of a circle, the pivot bolt 14 passing through the inner end of the sector and through the forward end of the rock shaft, which latter is bifurcated at such point. Said shaft has formed integral therewith a depending trip arm 1-5 which extends below the plane of the upper face of the receiving device C.

The receiving device C carried by the car comprises a rectangular receptacle 1 6 which is secured in any preferred manner in a seat 17 formed by cutting away a portion of the roof of the car, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the

outer side wall of the receptacle lying in the plane of the adjacent car side. At each endof the receptacle is located a swinging door 18 which forms a portion of the corresponding end wall thereof, said doors being disposed transversely of the car and swinging in opposite directions, to afford communication between the receptacle and a pair of depending discharge chutes 19 which extend through openings'formed in the bottom wall of the receptacle into the interior of the car.

The tops of the receptacles 3 and 16 are open, and their sideand end walls are formed of heavy wire mesh strengthened at the edges of the walls by stiffening rods. The receptacle 16 is further provided with an endless conveyer 2O dis osed longitudinally therewithin and trave ing over pairs of sprockets 21 and 22 carried by shafts 23 and 24 journaled at op osite ends in bearings with which the side wa ls of the receptacle are provided.

- The conveyer consists of a belt formed of heavy woven wire to the longitudinal edges of which are secured sprocket chains 25.

The receiving apparatus 0 located at the station is identical in the main with that carried by the car and includes a rectangular receptacle 16 supported at the proper distance above the ground in any preferred manner, there being disposed within said receptacle an endless conveyer 20 which is similar in every respect to the first mentioned conveyer and travels around pairs of sprocket wheels 21 and 22 secured to shafts 23 and 24. The receptacle 16 terminates at each end in a depending pocket 19 into which the adjacent end of the conveyer projects, as shown in Fig. 3.

The above-described receptacle is located directly in the path of movement of the trip arm 15 of the rock shaft 11 carried by the car, which arm as above stated, extends below the plane of the top of said receptacle, owing to which fact, it will be apparent that when the train passes the station, said arm will contact with one or the other of the end walls of the receptacle according to the direction in which the train is traveling, the impact of the arm against the wall causing the arm to swing upwardly, thus rocking the shaft 1 1 until the catch 12 which is carried by the shaft and is movable therewith, alines with the wider portion of the slot 7 in the tongue 6. The weight of the mail -bag which has been previously placed within the receptacle 3 will then force the door to swin outwardly, whereupon, the mail-bag will fal directly onto the conveyer 20, which latter is caused to travel in the same direction as the train under the impetus of the blow delivered thereto by the bag. Where the train is traveling at a high rate of speed the force of such blow will be sufficient in most instances, tocause the bag to be delivered by the conveyer to one or the other of the pockets 19.

l/Vhen the bag has been discharged from the receptacle 8, the door 4 thereof will return to its closed position of its own accord, whereupon it will be locked automatically by the catch 12 which is projected through the slot 7, the roller 9 riding along the curved forward face of the catch and forcing the latter slightly upwards, until the tooth 13 is passed. The catch will then drop to its normal position, its tooth engaging the roller, it being understood that the rock shaft is likewise returned to its original position after the car has passed the receptacle by the downward movement of the trip arm.

The crane 2 which carries the delivering apparatus A is formed in two sections, the upper of which is capable of a rotary movement into and out of operative position, the connection between the two sections being in the nature of a swiveled joint, as indicated by the numeral 26. The upper section of the crane is provided with a laterally-projecting arm 27 formed integral therewith and having integrally connected to its outer end the central portion of a strap 29. The receptacle 30 carried by said arm comprises a pair of similar members 31 each of which is hinged at its upper outer edge to the adjacent end of the strap 29, said members being thus capable of a swinging movement towards and from each other. When moved into contact with each other, said members are held against displacement by the trip mechanism B, which latter includes a rocker 11 provided with a depending integral arm 15 which lies in the path of movement of the receptacle 16 mounted upon the car roof. The last-mentioned rocker is secured to the beveled lower end of one member of the receptacle 30 and is provided with a catch 12 arranged for normal engagement with a slotted tongue 6 secured to the other member, which latter is likewise beveled at its lower end, the beveled formation of said members permitting them to swing apart from each other under the weight of the mail-bag, when the catch is released from engagement with the tongue or latch by the actuation of the rocker. The invention, however, contemplates the provision of means for preventing a premature actuation of the trip mechanism B in cases where a number of mailtrains travel at short intervals apart over the tracks adjacent which the crane 2 is located, thus insuring a discharge of the mail-bag to the receptacle carried by the proper train, or by the proper car of such train when the latter, for any reason, includes more than one mail car. To this end, the receptacle 16 mounted upon the roofof the car carries at each end a vertically-movable door 32 which is slidable in guides of any preferred type andis normally held in raised position by means of expansible coil-springs 33. The lower end of each door has secured thereto one end of a cable 34 which extends into the interior of the car, it being apparent that-when downward stress is applied to the cables, the doors will be lowered, whereupon the car will pass by the crane without effecting an actuation of the trip mechanism carried by the receptacle 30 even though the latter occupy its operative position. When the pressure up on the cables is relieved, the doors will return to their normal or elevated position under the influence of the springs 33. It will therefore be understood that when the train passes the station there is a simultaneous transfer of a mail-bag from the apparatus A to the receiver C and from the apparatus A to the receiver C, both transfers being effected automatically by the contact of the trip arms 15 Y and 15 with the end walls of the receptacles 3 and 16.

In the appended claims, the term hopper is intended to refer to either of the receptacles 3 or 30, both of which are intended to receive the mail-bags to be delivered to the receptacles 16 and 16. In like manner, either member of the receptacle 30 may be regarded as a door, since it is capable of a swinging movement away from the other member thereof, to permit the discharge of a mail-bag into the receptacle 16. The term door is therefore employed with reference to either of said members as well as to the door proper 3.' The term pockets likewise appearing in the claimsis intended to refer equally to the downward extensions 19 and 19 of the receptacles above referred to.

What is claimed is:

1. A mail-bag receiver, comprising a receptacle, and an endless conveyer disposed within the same.

2. A mail-bag receiver, comprising a receptacle, and an endless conveyer disposed within the same, said conveyer being actuated by the impact of a mail-bag discharged thereupon.

3. A mail-bag receiver, comprising a rectangular receptacle provided at each end with a downwardly-extending pocket, and an endless conveyer disposed within the same, for delivering a mail-bag discharged thereupon to one or the other of the pockets.

4. A mail-bag receiver, comprising a rectangular receptacle provided at each end with a downwardly-extending pocket, and an endless conveyer disposed within the same, for delivering a mail-bag discharged thereupon to one or the other of the pockets, said conveyer being actuated by the impact of the mail-bag thereagainst.

5. A mail-bag receiver, comprising a receptacle; transverse shafts journaled in the opposite ends of the receptacle; pairs of s rockets secured to said shafts sprocket c ains connecting the opposite sprockets;

and a woven wire belt secured at its longitudinal edges to said chains.

6. A mail-bag receiver, comprising a rectangular receptacle provided at each end with a downwardly-extending pocket transverse shafts journaled in the side walls of the receptacle at the opposite ends thereof; pairs of sprockets secured to said shafts; sprocket chains connecting the opposite sprockets; and a woven wire belt secured at its longitudinal edges to said chains for delivering a mail-bag discharged thereupon to one or the other of the pockets.

7. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination, of a hopper ada ted to receive a mail-bag a door hinged to t e hopper; a receiver located below the hopper, one of said elements being movable relatively to the other; a catch connected with the hopper and arranged for engagement with the door thereof, to retain the latter normally in closed position; and a trip arm connected with the catch and extending into the path of the receiver, for actuation thereby, to release the catch from engagement with the door and permit the latter to open, to discharge the mail-bag into the receiver.

8. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination of a hopper adapted to receive a mail-bag; a door hinged to the hopper; a receiver located below the hopper, one of said elements being movable relatively to the other; a rock-shaft connected with the hopper; a catch carried by the shaft and arranged for engagement with said door, to retain the latter normally in closed position; and a depending trip arm formed upon said shaft and extending into the path of the receiver, for actuation thereby, to release the catch from engagement with the door and permit the latter to open, to discharge the mail-bag into the receiver.

9. The combination of a hopper adapted to receive a mail-bag a door hinged at its upper end to the hopper and arranged for movement outwardly therefrom, to discharge the mail-bag, the rear wall of the hopper converging at its lower end towards the door; and a trip mechanism connected with the hopper and provided with a catch arranged for engagement with the door, to retain the latter normally in closed position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. NELSON.

Witnesses A. D. JOHNSTON, J. F. LU'roN. 

